Wildfire season officially ends in Washington – state Lands Commissioner seeks future funding

The wildfire season in Washington state is officially over. 

In 2026, “more than 1,500 fires ignited and nearly 1 million acres burned across the state,” Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove said Tuesday. 

“We saw nearly a thousand homes destroyed from the Colville Reservation to Okanogan and most notably, here in Spokane. We saw 65,000 people in our state’s second largest city have to evacuate.”

At its peak, more than 8,500 people were on the ground fighting Washington’s fires, Upthegrove said. They came from everywhere: 27 states and four countries. Gov. Bob Ferguson called in the National Guard. Troops from Joint Base Lewis-McChord joined too. 

The destructive wildfire season coincided with the fourth year in a row that Washington state has faced a drought. 

“There’s no signs the scientists tell us that that’s going to change anytime soon,” Upthegrove said.

Earlier this year, the Legislature fulfilled a 2021 commitment to put $60 million into wildfire prevention and forest health, using revenue from the Climate Commitment Act. Upthegrove is asking them to fund it again next year, amid a budget shortfall. 

“Public safety is a core basic function of government, even in tough fiscal times,” he said. “Without that funding, we are likely to see more fires … and more risks to life and property.”

The department uses about half the funding to prepare for the season. That includes training personnel, buying equipment and supplies, Upthegrove said. About $15 million is used for forest health work such as thinning trees and prescribed fire. Another $15 million helps communities develop wildfire defense plans and carry out fuels reduction work, he added.